Fatherly advice inspires Adelaide United’s Craig Goodwin to come home to Adelaide
CRAIG Goodwin’s return to Adelaide United from the Netherlands started with a chat between his dad and the Reds’ kit man.
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THE Reds’ recapture of FFA Cup hero Craig Goodwin was instigated by his father Tony’s casual conversation with Adelaide United’s kit man.
Craig, 26, was very unhappy in the Netherlands when Tony gave his son some wise fatherly advice.
He scored an incredible double in Tuesday’s FFA Cup final in a 2-1 win over Sydney FC at Hindmarsh, to take his tally to six goals in six matches, in four FFA Cup matches and two A-League clashes.
“I think during that difficult period in Europe I spoke to my dad and he was the one that was a big advocate in trying to get me back and saying that “I would do really well under (coach) Marco Kurz,’’ Craig said.
“He thought I could flourish rather than taking a step back to move yourself forward.
“Me at the time obviously being in Europe, that’s the dream, and being there and stuff and you want to do well, I wasn’t so sure about coming back to start with.
“But as time wore on I thought about it more and it seemed like the right move for me.”
Tony started making the right moves to help Craig only after his son was comfortable with what was about to transpire.
He contacted Reds equipment manager Chris Kelly, knowing he would relay a message to Adelaide’s general manager of football Ante Kovacevic that Craig wanted to come home.
“He (Kelly) mentioned it to Ante and what I heard is that Ante turned around and said “are you joking?” Tony said.
“That was the reaction he got and of course he (Kelly) messaged me and said “I think I’ve got their attention.”
“Ante got to ring me and then it was left up to the club and Craig’s agent.
“I talked to Craig he wasn’t having a good time with his Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam, I said: ‘come back to Adelaide, they have a really good coach Marco Kurz’ and I was sure he would be able to get him back to his best.
“Everything was going against him at his other club when they said: ‘you can leave’ and then turned around and said: ‘no you can’t.’
“It didn’t make sense for Craig, he couldn’t understand it.
“He’s come back and he’s falling into a golden roll at the moment.”
Since returning to Adelaide on a three-year deal in May, Craig has rediscovered the form which made him much loved during the Reds A-League title winning season in 2016.
However his career hit the skids this year.
Craig’s former club Sparta Rotterdam sacking boss Alex Pastoor started the slide when now ex coach Dick Advocaat took the job last December.
Advocaat — a target for the Socceroos job a decade ago — clearly didn’t have Craig in his plans, playing the winger just three out of 16 matches before the club was relegated in May.
Advocaat also wouldn’t let him leave the club for then Italian Serie A club Benevento or Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds during January’s FIFA transfer window.
Once he made his mind up to return Craig was on the hot list of Sydney FC, Perth Glory and Melbourne City.